Material—Language

Pooja was invited to speak about street lettering in India at Script Talk at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai. Her lecture framed public signage as crucial material culture that is valuable to our shared understanding of cities and the people and institutions that inhabit them. In particular, she shared lettering from Chennai, and the different interpretations of Art Deco idioms in signage around India. The talk was complemented with an exhibition of the same name that showcased the physicality of letterforms rendered in different materials.

Wood sign in white on green from Chennai. Geometric, Art Deco lettering that spells “Gem & Co., Pen Specialists”.
Wood sign in white on blue from Chennai. Uppercase letters spelling “Speed-A-Way (P) Ltd.